Banana-shipping case



No. 750,783. PATENTED JAN. 26, 1904. F. SGHMITZ.

BANANA SHIPPING CASE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, 1902.

NO MODEL.

m: Noam: warms co we're-mumvv msmuuma n, c.

i ,f A A UNITED STATES Patented January 26, 1904. I

FRANK SOHMITZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BANANA-SHIPPING 'c'AsE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No; 750,783, dated January26, 1904.

Application filed January 22, 1902. Serial No. 90,736. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK SoHMITz, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBanana-Shipping Cases, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in banana-shipping cases,the object of which is to produce a case which is cheap, light, andstrong and which while perfectly ventilated will accommodate varioussizes of bunches of bananas and cushion the same, so as to prevent thebruising of the fruit.

To this end the invention relates to certain novel features ofconstruction, a description of which will be found in the followingspeciiication and the essential features pointed out in the claims.

The invention is illustrated by means of drawings furnished herewith, inwhich- Figure 1 is a sectional perspective taken longitudinally througha case built upon the general plan'of my improved case. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section taken in the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aperspective of my paddingstrip, and Fig. 4 is a perspective of a hood orcap adapted to be pulled down upon the bunch of bananas to protect thesame from the top and to center it with respect to the case.

In this construction, A represents an openwork crate made up oflongitudinal slats a and encircling hoops a a a (4*, connecting saidslats to form a substantial frame capable of supporting a bunch ofbananas. Within this crate is suspended a funnel-shaped bottom B,preferably made up of some fabric, such as burlap or the like, which ispliable and forms a support for the bananas, besides allowing air topass freely through it. As shown, this bottom is secured to the hoop aby securing its top between the hoop and the slats, where it may betacked to the hoop or otherwise secured thereto, as desired. Theinclosing wall of the case (seen at (3) consists, preferably, of a sheetof elastic material such as very stout paper,veneer, papier-mziche', orsome like substance which may be rolled into a cylindrical shape, but onaccount of its elasticity will tend to unroll, and thereby when placedwithin the crate will expand and hold itself firmly in place. Such acasing may be placed Within the crate and may either rest upon the hoopa and be confined between it and the hoop (L2 or may extend beyond thehoop (b or the hoop (f, or both of them, and be held in place either byits own elasticity or by any other suitable means.

To more perfectly cushion the fruit, I have placed the padding-strips CU, 850., between the tubular casing and the walls of the crate. Thesestrips may be laid upon the longitudinal bars of the crate or they mayfollow the line of the horizontal hoops in the crate; but in thepreferred form the first of these methods is used, as shown in thedrawings. While these padding-strips may be formed of any suitablepadding material, the preferred form is that shown in Fig. 3, where Crepresents a paper covering rolled about a bundle of hay, excelsior, ora like substance. The corners c c are bent over, as shown in thedrawings, in order to retain the packing material within the tube and togive additional strength to the tube where it is fastened to the crate.These strips are fastened in the crate as shown in Fig. 1, the lower endwith the cornersc 0 being preferably secured between one of thehorizontal hoops and the longitudinal bars and the upper end of thepacking-strip being held in place by the strings which are used to tieon the f unnel-shaped cap used as a covering.

In using the case a bunch of bananas may be placed therein with one endcentered in the funnel-shaped bottom B. If necessary, asuitablefillingsuch as hay,&c.may be packed in between the bunch and the casing;but this is not essential, as the cap D may be pulled down upon theother end, so that the bananas will be practically held between the twoends B and D. In pulling the cap down it may be necessary when a bunchof bananas is quite short to pull it over the casing, as seen in Fig. 1,and the top of the casing because of its elasticity will enter the topand be held between it and the hoop (t at the bottom.

It is obvious that in packing bunches ofbananas of various sizes thecasing may be made of greater or less height by using longer or shortersheets of material and that in this way a great Variety of sizes ofbunches may be accommodated.

The construction is extremely simple, cheap, and light, and if thecasing becomes damaged anew one maybe readily inserted in its place.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In abanana-shipping case, the combination with a suitable crate, a suitablebottom suspended therein and an elastic tubular casing confined withinsaid crate, of packingstrips confined between said elastic casing andthe walls of said crate and running about said tubular casing in atransverse direction; substantially as described.

2. In a banana-shipping case, the combination with a suitable crate, abottom suspended therein and an elastic tubular casing support- Inwitness whereof I have hereunto set my 7 hand, at Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, this 28th day of October,

FRANK SCHMITZ.

Witnesses:

CHAs. O. SHERVEY, S. BLIss.

